Hairdressing accessory



Patented June 29, 1948- UNITED STATES PATENT OFF ICE mmmmssme AooEssonY l John A. Sewol, Hempstead, N. Y. Application June 12, 1940, Serial No. 676,139

' 7 Claims. (o1. 132-1) The present invention relates to devices pertaining to the art of hairdressing and more particularly concerns devices for holding, mounting and using hairpins, especially of the type known having the legs of the U close to one-another.

One or both legs may be corrugated to maintain a the pin more securely in the hair.

Because of the springiness and the close contact of the legs of the pin, difilculty is often encountered in opening the pin for insertion in the hair despite the usual provision of a slight flaring of the ends of the pin legs. Ordinarily, it requires both hands to open the pin, one for holding the pin and. the other for spreading its legs. Otherwise, if only one hand is free for use, recourse must be had to other means, such as the teeth, to assist in spreading the pin. This is an unsightly practice as well as an awkward one.

According to the present invention, these difiiculties are overcome by the use of anaccessory device which is simple to use, and provides a ready means of spreading such pins and can furthermore be used as a holder for such hairpins to keep them in readiness for instant use. -Such an accessory is highly useful .to persons such as Fig. 2 is an end elevation view of the device of Fig. 1, showing its relation to the hairpin after mounting;

Fig. 3 is a rear perspective view of another form of the present invention, useful as a hairpin stand or mount; 4

Fig. 4 is an end elevation view of a modified form of the device of Figs. 1 and 2, adapted for simpler fabrication; and

Fig. 5 is an end elevation view of a simplified version of the device of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the invention,

which comprises an integral element It especially formed to provide the advantages of the present invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation view of the some element showing its relation to a bobby" .pin II, when mounted thereon. The pin holder and spreader of the present invention is preferably rectangular in plan view and has a thin fiat portion I 3, which is thin enough to be inserted between the slightly flaring tips of the convenl20 and 150. Wedge surface I6 is preferably provided with a series of parallel grooves 11 extending perpendicular to the front edge l8 of fiat portion l8, and each adapted to receive one pin.

In use, the pin is placed with its open end adjacent front edge It. When holding the pin in the natural manner, with the thumb and fore finger on either side, touching both legs of the pin, the pin may be slid easily over flat'portion i3 of the holder-spreader l0, perpendicular to edge l8. The flat portion l3 easily enters between the legs of the pin, since its slight thickness hardly spreads the pin. When the wedge surface [6 is reached, the pin is guided to enter one of the slots i1. Continued movement of the pin forces its legs to spread, so that the fingers can now naturally hold one leg while simultaneously preventing the other leg from approaching the first leg. The pin is now in proper condition and in perfect position in the fingers, to be inserted in the hair. In this way, the device serves as a convenient pinspreader.

Instead of merely using the present device as a pin-spreader, it may be used as a holder. By

' forcing the pin up the slope of wedge surface I6 .groove, and easily carried about, in a ladys hand- Thus, the pins are carried bag for instance. mounted in readiness for instant use. Normally, for portable use, a cover with a snap fastener would be placed around the holder and its mounted pins, to prevent accidental dislodgment.

It will'be understood that the fiat portion I3 may also be provided with grooves similar to 3 grooves ii for maintaining convenient spacing between the mounted pins, so as to iacllitate individual removal.

As a modification of the portable form of the invention, shown in Figs. 1 and 3, it may be incorporated into a stand. as shown in Fig. 3, suitable for keeping conveniently upon a ladys dressing table or upon a hairdressers table. For this purpose, a flat support portion M is provided, sumciently long to give stable equilibrium. The fiat portion 13' then extends upward at a convenient angle, while the wedge surface it may be substantially horizontal, and bears grooves ll Similar grooves 22 are formed in as in Fig. 1. at least that part of flat portion l3 nearest front edge 18'. Grooves 22 may be extended for the full depth of flat portion 13', if desired. It will be understood that similar grooves may also be provided for the form of Fig. 1.

cassava 4 whereby a plurality of pins may be mounted in spaced parallel relation.

3. A device as .in claim 1 further including a support portion formed integrally with said flat The devices of Figs. 1 and 3 are preferably in-' 30 tegrally formed from a single solid piece of suitable material, such as a synthetic thermoplastic or thermo-setting material, as by molding, casting or machining. However, other materials maybe used, where adaptable. Figs. 4 and 5 show forms of the device similar to Figs. 1 and 3, respectively, and fabricated from a blank of sheet material, such as cardboard or heavy stiff paper, or other similar stifi material, instead of as a solid piece.

and wedge portions for serving as a support for permitting use of said device as a hairpin stand.

4. A hairpin spreading and holding device having a thin fiat portion and a further portion adjoining said flat portion, said further portion having a wedge surface inclined at an obtuse angle to said fiat portion, the front edge of said fiat portion being separated from the upper edge of said wedge portion by a distance smaller than the length of the pin to be held thereby, whereby said thin flat portion is adapted to be inserted between the legs of said pin so that upon further relative movement between said pin and said device, the legs of said pin are spread by said wedge surface.

5. A device as in claim 4, wherein at least part of said fiat portion is formed with spaced parallel grooves extending substantially perpendicularly to said front edge and each adapted to receive a pin to be mounted, whereby a plurality of pins may be mounted on said device in spaced parallel relation.

6. As an article of manufacture, a hairpin mount formed of a folded fiat sheet and having a pair of adjacent parallel folds forming a thin por- The blank is scored in conventional manner and 39 mm, and a, third fold disposed at an obtuse angle is then bent as indicated inFlgs. 4 and 5. The folds lying flat against one another are suitably fastened together, as by gluing or stapling or otherwise, resulting in a rigid, light and inexpensive structure. Parallel grooves, similar to II and ii, may be embossed or impressed into the sheet material before folding to provide guides for the hairpins, as described above.

While the invention has been illustrated in concrete form in a few embodiments thereof, it will be apparent that many'equivalent structures can be devised, and the scope of the invention is 'not limited merely to the forms shown, but as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hairpin spreading and holding device having a thin flat portion and a wedge surface portion, both adapted to be inserted between the legs of a pin to spread them apart and maintain them in spread condition ready for use.

2. A device as in claim 1 wherein said wedge surface portion is formed with a pluraiity or parallel grooves each adapted to receive a pin,

to said pair of folds.

7. An article of manufacture according to claim 6, wherein said sheet is formed with parallel spaced grooves, along one of said parallel folds s8 and along said third fold, to provide guides for mounting hairpins thereon.

J OHN A. SEWOL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the flle of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,150,144 Andersen Mar. 14, 1939 2,164,385 Carson July 4, 1939 2,230,394 Young Feb. 4, 1941 2,402,236 Calafiore June 18, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 803,599 France Oct. 3, 1936 

